Gorham Schools Unveils State's First District-Wide AI Handbook for Students

The Gorham School Committee has taken a pioneering step into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, unanimously approving a comprehensive 22-page handbook designed to guide students and families through the ethical and responsible use of AI tools.

Wednesday's 7-0 vote makes Gorham Schools the first district in Maine to establish official, system-wide guidance on student AI use. The timing is intentional—officials say the handbook was developed specifically to prepare the district before it rolls out MagicSchool AI, an artificial intelligence platform that streamlines teaching tasks like lesson planning and quiz creation, during the 2026-27 school year.

"That platform will not be our long-term solution, but it serves as our starting point to help everyone understand the possibilities, recognize potential pitfalls, and learn what to watch out for," said Superintendent Heather Perry.

The handbook emerged from months of collaboration among administrators, teachers, parents, and students. It emphasizes three core principles: transparency about when and how AI is used, ethical application that respects academic integrity, and careful attention to data protection and privacy. The document draws frameworks from the Maine Department of Education, Connecticut's Choate Rosemary Hall, and the College Board, adapting them into practical checklists and memory aids for students navigating AI decisions.

One such tool is the acronym HUMAN, which guides students through ethical AI use by prompting them to halt and reflect beforehand, utilize effective prompting techniques, monitor results for accuracy and bias, authenticate the work's integrity, and note key elements of their AI usage.

"What we make absolutely clear in this handbook is that if students have any question whatsoever about whether AI is appropriate in their work, they need to ask their teacher," Perry emphasized.

The district's next phase involves developing a parallel handbook specifically for educators, with all staff scheduled to complete two full days of AI training before classes begin this fall.

Among those who helped shape the document were Oliver Emerson and Abe Palmer, both sophomores at Gorham High School who joined the development committee at their computer science teacher's suggestion. Both students describe their own AI use as largely limited to prompting large language models to generate practice quizzes and study guides.

"When I use AI, I ask myself whether it's replacing critical thinking or skills I'm supposed to be developing in school," Emerson explained. "I want to make sure I'm still actually building those capabilities."

The students said some of their peers currently use AI to generate entire assignments on a daily basis. Palmer noted that he has witnessed both effective and ineffective approaches to AI among his teachers—one instructor uses Google's Notebook LM to present lesson materials concisely, while another relied heavily on AI to create assignments that fell short in quality and depth.

"Some of those assignments weren't as high quality or in-depth as what other teachers produced," Palmer said. "I found that frustrating."

Palmer sees mixed value in MagicSchool AI, appreciating some features while questioning others—particularly a function that generates emails, which he believes should remain human-written and personal.

Duncan Smith, a parent of a fourth grader at Village Elementary who served on the handbook committee, offered a parent's perspective. His son currently uses AI primarily for entertainment—creating funny videos and researching video game strategies—but Smith hopes his child will eventually explore coding and software engineering.

"What's wonderful about these tools is that they've dramatically lowered the barrier to entry," Smith said. "The challenge is finding the right balance between avoiding over-regulation while ensuring we teach our children responsible use."

The handbook also addresses legal compliance, guiding students on relevant privacy laws, and even touches on AI's environmental footprint, encouraging users to consider the resource demands of AI processing.

Perry emphasized that the handbook represents not a final answer but an opening gambit in an ongoing conversation.

"We genuinely hope this handbook is viewed not as the conclusion of a discussion, but as the beginning of one," she said.